This Savory Pigeon is Available for Delivery in Shenzhen

What's on Waimai is a monthly column where we single out delicious delivery food choices for your dining convenience.

While some people around the world (including right here in South China) enjoy dining on rats and other rodents, we aren’t quite courageous enough to try the pesky fellas. That said, we did work up enough of an appetite to give ‘vermin of the sky’ a shot.

Guangming Ruge is a much-loved Shenzhen haunt that specializes in ‘Kunji Guangming ruge,’ or ‘Kun’s Guangming pigeon’ in English.

The eatery’s renowned pigeon sells for RMB36.8 (with a RMB10 delivery fee). Aside from the fried bird, the shop also sells shrimp porridge (RMB28) and corn sticks (RMB6), along with a wide selection of beer and herbal drinks.

Image by Jonathan Zhong/That’s

We recently ordered a bird to our Shenzhen office. When the box arrived, a delicious smoky scent permeated the room. Inside, a whole pigeon, including the head, was chopped into several chunks.

Different from the classic Beijing duck, which has a thick layer of fat, pigeon skin is a lot thinner, less fatty and has a salty taste. The meat is well seasoned and arguably tenderer than chicken or duck.

Some people say if you haven’t tried ruge, then you haven’t really been to Shenzhen. While that’s a stretch, it is worth your while to order this fried bird.